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Regardless of the
passage of time, the intrigue of vampire heroes never seems to diminish. There
is truly an eternal attraction to these creatures of the night. I’ve often
wondered myself what the allure and mystique really is. I’ve written many
stories and novels with vampire heroes, yet I rarely read them. (That has
changed recently to a small degree because I’ve read all of JR Ward’s Black
Dagger Brotherhood books, and enjoyed them, but the ones I feel are really wonderful
are Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series!)
Having said that, I
still find the passion for vampires one that has many sides to it, and all of
them are intriguing for various reasons. In the new genre romances, I think
we’ve seen a surge of “redemption” stories, whereby the objective is to
“restore” the vampire to his humanity, if not his human/mortal state. While the
romance of this is appealing on some levels, I much prefer a vampire who is
comfortable in his own skin, so to speak. I’m not interested in “curing” the
vampire of his curse, so often times those stories are a total disappointment
to me.
I also don’t think
there is a lot of noble sacrifice in the true vampire. This creature is by very
virtue of its existence a mythical power, bound by nothing as mundane as
constraints of morality. The traditional vampire is a killer, beyond the reach
of mortal law. If your vampire has not streak of cruelty, or indifference to
human worries, he loses a great deal of his power and appeal, I think. We look
to this mythical being for escapism in reading and film, and while everyone has
their vision of a perfect vampire, I believe for myself, that the good-guy
vampires are often weaker than the counter-parts they invariably fight.
The sexual aspect of
the vampire allure is another of those areas where a lot of personal preference
comes into play. Realistically, if you can even use that word in this context,
a vampire is not capable of the sex act. However, if you are writing
vampire/paranormal romance, you don’t have much of a book if you hero can’t
make love to your heroine, so once again, we have that perception thing
happening. And once again, just how “dark” is this hero? If you create an
ancient vampire, presumably he’s had hundreds of lovers, so the author is
challenged to create a heroine who is strongly defined and unique enough to
capture the attention and dormant heart of this incredible being. Therein lies
the problem of many romances–the heroines are too often irritating, or weak,
and you wonder why anyone would want to cherish them forever, especially a man
who’s known so many others? All in all, it’s a fine line, and I’m not convinced
anyone’s done it real justice even now.
Ultimately, I think
vampires are seductive and alluring, but I also think amid that “glamour” there
must be an edge of cruelty and power that is restrained and once in awhile
brought out to reveal the nature of the beast. It is in those moments, we see
the truth of the “curse” of this nocturnal existence. To rob a reader/viewer of
the darker aspects is to short-change the entire mythos. The appeal is
timeless, and everyone loves these creatures for different reasons, so I think
it will go on enduring if writers continue to craft stories that capture the
essence of the vampire appeal in some way. I’ve written books myself that
experiment with the vision I have, and while not perfect in any way, I do hope
they entertain readers.
STOLEN RAPTURE
Genres: Erotic/vampire/ménage/BDSM
Blurb:
When work brings Deluna Jordan face to face with a man who
knows her better than she knows herself, she soon discovers he shares everything
with his boss, including lovers…and a thirst for blood…and she is about to
become the lucky recipient of all their
desires…
Excerpt:
"So, what is it this woman does again?" Rahve
asked with little real interest, but considerable amusement. Cord had been
distracted for a week or more, since Rahve had sent him to the Grayson show.
Cord glared at him and he laughed at the irritation in the other man's
expression. Rahve shrugged and turned his attention back to the figures in front
of him.
"We need to come up with something truly
spectacular for the new line," Rahve murmured as he rapidly read the accounting
figures, his agile brain processing numbers as quickly as the machine in front
of him.
"Are you worried?"
Rahve's smile was sardonic. "Are
you?"
"I want to design something for Deluna's next
show."
Rahve sat back in his chair and eyed the younger
man. "Tell me about her."
It wasn't a request and they both knew
it.
"Why don't you come with me and you can judge for
yourself?" Challenge hung between them for a few minutes, then Rahve shrugged
and rose from his seat. Cord was startled for about a heartbeat of time. He
stood and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "Have dinner with
us."
Rahve's smile was contemptuous. "She doesn't know
what you are, does she?"
"She knows everything she needs to
know."
Scornful laughter lit Rahve's predatory eyes. "I
haven't met a human yet who is that accepting of us, so I'll assume she doesn't
know it's her blood you're lusting after more than her
cunt."
"Stay away from her," Cord warned, "I'll tell her
when I want her to know."
"You invited me to dinner," Rahve reminded him,
laughter in his tone, "so let's go."
"I've changed my mind."
Rahve ignored his remark.
"What are you going to do if she falls for me?"
Rahve asked as they headed for the parking garage under the Falcon's Flight
office building.
"Kill your ass," Cord quipped. It was an old game,
one he hated. Over the years, he'd lost more than one woman to Rahve's charm and
power.
"Address?" Rahve asked when he'd stopped
laughing.
Cord gave it to him and while he watched Rahve
walk to his Ferrari, he wondered if Deluna would fall for him. Falcon had a
remarkable effect on women, and she wasn't likely to be any more immune than
most others. Rahve was an impressive male, six foot three, dark blond hair that
was cut neat and stylish. He was built like a Roman statue, and he had more
money than god…yeah, women loved him. For all kinds of reasons. A shadow
whispered across his soul, an almost tangible harbinger of foreboding that made
his teeth grind. Cord didn't like the vulnerability of fear, and he hated it
even more when it was born in jealousy. Deluna hadn't even met Rahve and he was
already worrying about her reaction to his boss....
STOLEN RAPTURE
Genres: Erotic/vampire/ménage/BDSM
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